A Perfect Match
by White-Tigers-of-Darkness
Summary: Superman remembers the day he met Project Match. The day he imprisoned the clone forever at Cadmus. And then the clone was free, playing the hero and taking on the name Conner. Superman would never trust it. YJ Anon Meme Fill.


Was looking through my hard drive and found this YJ Anon fill I must have completed weeks ago. Prompt is below.

_Project Match came first and when he was originally activated the only one who could stop him was Superman. He's know about the cloning project for a long time, but agreed that Cadmus was ultimately the best place to keep Match. Guardian is there because he was someone Superman could trust to keep an eye on things, not knowing what the Genomes were capable of. When he first saw Conner he thought it was Match and he was waiting for the inevitable fight._

_A fight that never came, but one that Superman is sure it going to happen. Because the Kryptonian DNA is unstable and he doesn't know about the human DNA at all. So basically Superman doesn't want to get attached because he's certain he'll have to take Conner down and stick him back in a pod. _

_And as Agendas showed Clark is rather desperate to find another Kryptonian. He's just not sure he could survive losing him once he had him. _

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Characters below to DC and idea belongs to the anon on the meme. I am sorry I don't know who you are or else I would have sent you a message.

* * *

The day Superman defeated the psychotic clone known as Project Match, the Man of Steel felt like the world had ended. For so many years, he had faced the prospect of being the last Son of Krypton, the only one of his kind left.

All his life, he had felt the loneliness, the cold realisation that his race was dead. Then, rumours about Cadmus Labs had caught his attention. Rumours which Superman could not ignore.

He had gone into that place full of hope, and left in despair. Another Kryptonian did exist. But not the way the Man of Steel had hoped.

The teenager, the clone, was insane, more animal than intelligent being. He had lashed out, growling as his eyes fixed on Superman's chest and the red 'S' shield which was stamped proudly across it. The boy had attacked, doing everything in his power to harm anyone which came between himself and the Man of Steel.

Superman had been forced to use everything in his power to take down his clone, finally beating the teen into submission.

The scientists had been mute to Superman's questions, refusing to tell him anything other than a single answer. The clone had been created to take down Superman, should he turn away from the Light.

As much as Superman hated the concept, he could understand the theory behind it. He was dangerous. But so was the teenage clone.

Superman couldn't bring himself to destroy the clone, the only other Kryptonian on the planet. And he couldn't bring himself to destroy Cadmus, despite all the harm that they had done to him and to themselves.

A compromise had been made. The clone, Project Match, was to be frozen. Imprisoned and hidden in the bowls of Cadmus until such time as some way to control him could be found. Superman chose the Guardian, a young but trustworthy hero, to stay at Cadmus and watch for any possible hints that the scientists would try and release the clone or do anything underhanded towards the League.

Of course, the Guardian had reported nothing. Which was why Superman had not felt the need to investigate when, only a few years later, a fire had been reported at Cadmus.

The Man of Steel had been so caught up in the strange series of ice attacks that he hadn't even thought about the possible danger. At least, not until the dissapearance of several sidekicks was reported.

Rushing to Cadmus, the rest of the League following in his wake, Superman had arrived on the now destroyed site of the labs to see something completely unexpected. The clone was standing quietly, surrounded by the remains of Cadmus and the three younger heroes. The teenage Kryptonian was looking up at the sky like he had never seen anything like it before. For a moment, Superman had been struck by how clear the clone's eyes looked, as opposed to the strange blankness which the Man of Steel remembered. But then the teens face had gone blank, and Superman was once again on edge as the teenager had walked up to him, showing the tattered 'S' shield on his chest. The same symbol the teen had hated so much the first time they had met.

"I'm Superman's clone." The teenager had stated in a voice Superman recognised as his own, and at that moment, the Man of Steel knew he was stuck.

The League was not going to let this pass.

Pulling Diana and Jo'nn aside, he had quickly allowed the Martian to read his feelings, letting the other alien know what he wanted. The clone was dangerous. That much Superman knew. Even with Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad protesting the clone's case, the Man of Steel was still on edge, glancing over at the clone.

Finally, he knew he had to get away. Breaking away from the group, Superman forced himself to step closer to the clone.

"We'll… ahh…We'll figure something out for you. The League will I mean. For now, I'd better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." The Man of Steel stuttered, trying not to think of the pod where the clone had been imprisoned for so long.

Turning away, he forced himself into the air, feeling the clones blue eyes burning into his back as he tried to put distance between himself and the teen.

Even then, he could still hear as Batman quickly took control of the situation and ordering the young heroes back into their places, even as they fought for the clone. The Dark Knight had a strong moral stance, and could see the possible danger, but he had one weakness. A weakness which was staring him down. Children.

Somehow, the sidekicks had put aside all their training, all their intelligence, all their common sense, to try and defend the clone from their mentors. And they were winning.

Superman longed to return, to warn everyone of how dangerous the clone really was. But that would open him up to too many unwanted questions, too many painful memories. Superman forced himself further and further away from the scene, trying to black out the painful memories, the fear of being forced to once again take down the clone.

No. Superman promised himself. He would not let it get to that point again. Superman swore, he would wait and watch. The moment the clone started to turn, he would be there to put a stop to it. The League would never need to know the truth.

For the next few weeks, Superman watched in secret as Batman built up the new team. The clone was given the nickname Superboy, much to Superman's horror, and began to train with the other young heroes. Superman pretended not to care, to push all the responsibility to Batman, but secretly, he watched the clone, studying for any signs that the clone was about to go rogue.

But he could see nothing. Sure, the clone had anger problems, but somehow, Black Canary had managed to shut it down before it could grow into something worse.

Worse came the day the clone decided to visit Metropolis. Pained as he was to admit it, Superman had to agree, the clone had handled himself well. So well, in fact, that once again Superman had started to fear. Was the clone using a new method to destroy him, by making him obsolete? The teen even had the nerve to ask Superman for help controlling his stolen abilities.

Superman had pushed the clone out of his town, making sure the teen knew he wasn't welcome. The teen had retreated, but that hadn't stopped Batman, as Bruce Wayne, attempt to give him a lecture.

Only a few weeks later, and it seemed that Bruce had gotten his revenge on Superman's secret identity, giving the clone a human name. Clark Kent had almost despaired when the footage had been sent to him, of Jo'nn naming the clone Conner Kent. It had been a personal blow, and one which the whole League knew Clark would respond to.

Suddenly, everyone was talking about 'Conner'. Not the clone, not Superboy, but Conner. Like the clone wasn't dangerous. Wasn't a weapon created to take out one of their own. For the first time, Clark longed to open up, to explain why the clone was so dangerous. But he couldn't. He couldn't admit that the kid frightened him.

Many more weeks passed, Superman keeping tabs on the Young Justice in general and Superboy in particular. Situations arose, enemies attacked, and yet the clone still showed no sign of turning bad. For a while, Clark dared to hope that he wouldn't, that somehow, Cadmus had managed to fix the teen.

In a twist of fate, Clark found himself despairing when, one day without warning, all the children on earth disappeared. For the first time ever, he wondered what had happened to Conner. Had the teen been hurt? Had he been killed? For the first time ever, Superman found himself sympathising with Batman, Flash, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman and Zatara. With the 'fathers' of the League.

Superman would never forget the look Batman had sent him when the children had been returned, Zatara had been taken as a host to Dr Fate and all Superman could do was fly off to the Fortress of Solitude to contemplate these new found emotions.

Seeing no other option, The Man of Steel attempted to bury himself in his work, as a reporter and a hero.

And then came the worst news Superman could ever get.

And to think, it was so innocent. The Guardian had gotten in contact on Thanksgiving, just as Superman prepared to travel home to Smallville to see his parents. Superboy, Conner, had paid a visit to Cadmus. And had found Match.

In hindsight, Superman realised he shouldn't have trusted Dr Desmond. The man had lied too many times for that. And yet, when the man had promised that he would not try to create a second clone, Superman had believed him. He had believed so hard, that the first moment he had seen Superboy, he had immediately believed the boy was the same clone who had attacked him. The same clone who had tried to rip him to pieces. Only now did Clark realise his mistake. Conner was innocent of all the wrong doing. Conner was not the clone who had been driven to insanity by his own genetic makeup. Conner was just a young kryptonian, the only other one of his kind, and Clark had treated him horribly.

Clark had no idea what to do anymore. Conner was not evil, just a kid who Clark had treated horribly.

Clark had no justification for the way he had acted. And yet, he still couldn't face the boy.

Months came and went and suddenly it was New Year's Eve.

Clark didn't remember much of what happened that night. One moment they were celebrating the inclusion of the new heroes to their roster, the next it was the next morning and Clark was shaking off the effects of kryptonite poisoning and an impressive beating at the hands of his clone. Conner and the rest of the Young Justice team had somehow appeared in the Watch Tower, taking down the puppets Savage had turned the League into. The kids were standing protectively around a sheepish looking Red Arrow but Clark had managed to corner the Boy of Steel on the observation deck, talking quietly in an effort to reach out to the teen.

Slowly, it all started to come out. Cadmus. Clones. Mind Control. A Mole….. Luthor.

Of course that last one was most important to the Man of Steel. Luthor had funded Cadmus, ordering the creation of Conner and possibly even Match in an attempt to bring Clark down. It suddenly all made sense. Conner was supposed to be a controlled version of Superman. A hybrid created from human and kryptonian DNA which Luthor had tried to drug into submission for his own unsavoury purposes. But Conner had rebelled against Luthor, turning Luthor's plans against him.

Clark didn't think he could be any prouder of his clone.

He wanted to encourage the boy, to offer him a family. He wanted to be a father to Conner, a brother, a friend. He wanted to encourage the boy to better himself and to support him in anything he chose to do, whether as a hero or a civilian.

It was a new year, a time to start over, to begin again. Firstly he would take Conner to Smallville, introduce him to the Kent's. Then maybe to Metropolis. Conner seemed excited by the idea, excited to finally be included in the Man of Steels life.

Sure there would be some bad times. Clark had spent too much time trying to pretend that Conner didn't exist to completely change his ways. But he was sure they were alike enough to be able to deal with it. And if Conner did eventually reject him, Clark would accept that too. He would be sad, but he would accept Conner's decision and make sure that Conner was taken care of.

But that was the future. Whatever happens next, he would make room for Conner in his life from now on.


End file.
